Para Lia have arrived with – Soap Bubble Dreams

Para Lia have arrived with – Soap Bubble Dreams, their new indie/alternative rock album that smokes an entire peace with music fans around the world on what is a classic appealing collection of modern rock songs with a sense of yesteryear about it. The band are a vocal duo and monster instrumental powerhouse without being grating or overbearing in the mix. Being new to something new is never a thing to balk at, because once you hear this music your faith in artfully catchy songwriting and industrial sound will be restored. Just a walk through the songs alone is all it takes.

“Soap Bubble Dreams” leads the album off with the concept in your face to make the title stick as both the song itself and the entire album manage to do so well. What a great tune it is, and so are the rest but it was a deal sealer to hear it jump start the track list. “Wait” is a remarkably epic track that reminds of many bands you can’t put your finger on. The lingering melody just keeps a hook on it that you can’t go out and replicate anymore without being of that ilk. It’s in the ethos of this band to ooze its array of influences out, without sounding too much like any of them.

Band leader, René Methner has a way with mixing guitar and synth with the best results this side of the 90s, with a clear and present Neil Young set of singing and songwriting skills. “The Man Who Went Away” sounds like it should be on every alt. rock station across the nation, it’s genuinely that good, but it doesn’t measure the true resonance of such a well-arranged tune. And his partner, Cindy Methner puts all the icing on the proverbial cake of these songs. Just check out “Leaves Of Grey” for solid proof on that, the guitar parts alone are of the epic variety and then some.

This brings the proceedings to one of the finest cuts on the album with “Romancero” doing the business for all it’s worth on and endlessly marvelous piece of music that makes the album for me with a great song for the sake of being free and together at the same time. A fantastic love song for modern times is the result. It’s simply amazing how they sound like over three decades of what’s actually-great about rock music. And it goes from there to a sweet and soft ballad on “Over It” with some sizably big breaks to spice it up with a singer/songwriter feel enhanced by-the use of both male and female harmonies and searing guitar work.

The impression these songs have on the first listen is a testament to how good they are in every aspect of what they do, it’s brooding and painful at times and it’s also uplifting and heartfelt. “Beautiful Delay” is a thing of beauty all its own with a driving pace that earns its spot without forcing the tempo and it’s one of the best listening experiences on the album. It’s a song worth pointing out as much as the remaining tracks “On My Way Home” and the equally stunning and very dramatic closer “Who Gets Fooled Again” on this highly recommended new release.